The Portland Timbers and adidas today unveiled the team’s official third uniform design for the 2012 season. The retro-inspired jersey is produced from 100 percent recycled materials and was designed and manufactured in Portland.

Timbers defender David Horst and midfielder Darlington Nagbe revealed the new look during a special unveiling event in the KeyBank Club at JELD-WEN Field on Tuesday morning.

“One of the greatest strengths of the Timbers is the rich history of the club,” said Merritt Paulson, president of the Timbers. “With this third kit, we are paying homage to the teams and players that inspired our city to become Soccer City, USA.”

To celebrate the launch of the new look for 2012, the Timbers and adidas have created 2,012 limited-edition gift sets that include an authentic third jersey and a unique Timbers scarf, which is made of 100 percent recycled cotton. The sets, which also include a collectible gift box featuring a photo collage of historic Timbers images, are available exclusively at the adidas Timbers Team Store at JELD-WEN Field and online at shop.portlandtimbers.com for the next six days. The limited-edition jersey box sets are sequentially numbered for further collectability.

Replica Timbers third jerseys will be available in early 2012.

The third uniform, created by adidas, the official athletic sponsor and product supplier of MLS, features a classic white design with Timbers green and yellow accents, as well as a number of signature design elements inspired by the rich history of the club. The retro-inspired design is highlighted by a green-collared jersey that takes inspiration from historic Timbers kits and pays homage to the long-standing tradition of the Timbers in Portland. A further nod to this rich past, and distinct from the team’s primary and secondary kits, the Timbers’ history-inspired secondary crest is included on the third kit. The uniform is completed with white shorts and socks.

“We created this special uniform to celebrate the City of Portland’s great soccer heritage,” said Antonio Zea, director of soccer for adidas America. “We’re proud to deliver the team and fans a unique piece of Timbers history with this jersey made from 100 percent recycled materials and designed and developed right here in the Rose City.”

The jersey also features unique call-outs to a script Timbers font from the North American Soccer League era of the club and an “Estd. 1975” mark to honor the year of the team’s debut season in the NASL. The inside collar is inscribed “Designed and Manufactured in Portland, OR, USA” and features a recycled symbol.

Further, the club’s official jersey partner, Alaska Airlines, joined in the spirit of the third-kit design. The Alaska Airlines name on the front of the third jersey features a sans serif typeface, identical to the script prominently featured across the carrier’s fuselage in 1979 when the airline started regular jet service in Portland. The retro font was used for decades and preceded the well-known Alaska Airlines wind-script, used by the airline since the early 1990s, that is featured on the Timbers’ primary and secondary shirts.

“With longstanding ties to the Portland community, we’re thrilled to further celebrate our Timbers partnership with a jersey that harkens back to the era Alaska first started jet service in Soccer City, USA,” said Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of marketing.

The third kit will be worn for select matches during the upcoming season; the Timbers will continue to feature their green primary jerseys and Rose City Red secondary kits in 2012.

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